Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some gorgeous cafes and eating places I've discovered in and around Cape Town

Dec 15, 2011

The Meeting Place, Simonstown

It's really a challenge to get to a cup of coffee in this venue! As you enter the Meeting Place you are ambushed by a cornucopia of wondrous goodies which tug at your covet-button and purse strings. Oh, i wanted so much! Tables groan under a display of decor delights of all stripes and a veritable florist shop of artifical flowers that look more like the real thing than the real thing. Then the tables themselves are for sale, as are the chairs and cabinets and side tables and lamps. Sigh. It was hard to resist.

Being December, the place was also a-tinkle with festive goodies, and i fell hook, line and sinker for a particularly zany reindeer with twiggy ears, wearing a knitted aran jumper and socks. To die for, but considering i'm a bit of a gypsy, totally impractical and unpackable.

Eventually i dragged myself away from temptation and settled into the cosy corner of a long flowery sofa that hugs one wall in the restaurant section. Mellow latin music in the background, newspaper and glossy magazines to hand, i perused the small menu offering sandwiches, wraps and cakes, and ordered an Americano, which was just perfect. Jars and crisp cellophane packets of delectable delights, from brownies, shortbread, fudge and the like, to preserves, line the shelves around the service area, and it's dificult to leave without some small indulgence.

The Meeting Place is a pretty place, a feast for the eyes, an "artist's date" for creatives, a soul food spot. And i haven't even mentioned that you can also go upstairs and find another squishy sofa, or sit out on the verandah and gaze over the harbour at the mountains across the bay. Many gorgeous excuses for a coffee break and well worth a cruise along the coast to Simonstown.

﻿

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love coffee shops...

What is it about coffee shops that makes them so enticing?Discovering a new one is always fun, whether on my own, or to share a cup and a chat with a friend. I enjoy the buzz and love to just sit and observe other people and the surroundings and decor, and what goes to make up the sum total of the experience. It's a delicate blend of environment, service, food, music and atmosphere. It's attention to detail, be that the attitude of waitrons, the presentation of a dish, from a cup of coffee to a full on meal, and the presence of management. Having served time in the hospitality industry I can't help being a bit picky and privately dishing out or subtracting points, but I try not to let that detract from the experience. It's just a cup of coffee, after all.

In pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee!

Looking for the best caffeine kick in town? Watch this space. I've now also started posting LINKS to the venues, if they have a website, so that you can peruse the menu at your leisure.

CAPPUCCINO WITH A FACE

It's actually called Latte Art! You never know what you'll find smiling up at you from your coffee these days, as capping a cappuccino becomes an artform.

Facebook

If you enjoyed reading this blog please visit my Facebook page and click the Like button!

What is an Americano?

According to Wikipedia, an Americano is made by adding hot, or boiling, water to a shot of Espresso. Ideally you should be served your coffee in a regular sized cup together with a small jug of hot water, but during the course of my coffee jaunts I have only ever once experienced this...and I can't remember where that was!

WHAT IS A LATTE?

A Cafe Latte is a blend of espresso and steamed milk, ideally 4 parts milk to 1 part espresso.